Dan Whitehouse on a subtle and touching exploration of absence and presence. A beatific exemplar of less is more.

NOT JUST ABOUT ABSENCE

With songs written between England and Japan, Only Love is a warm and spontaneous piano-and-vocal album by acclaimed Black Country singer-songwriter Dan Whitehouse and pianist David O’Brien. Not just an album about absence, the songs relay the practical, imaginative and sometimes joyful work of remaining present; of positive connection – the rituals, journeys and flashes of joy that keep love alive.

Only Love was recorded across two London sessions, with no overdubs and no safety net. The result is up close, personal and intimate and typical of the sensitive songwriting that goes hand-in-hand, side-by-side, with Dan Whitehouse. A pure exercise in less is more restraint.

David O’Brien is an equally sympathetic partner, responding and reshaping the songs live in the studio in organic-fashioned composition. It has Dan crooning “When David plays I feel like I’m levitating,” Whitehouse says. “Sometimes he hits a chord – like the G minor six on A Thousand Lives – and it feels like we’re on a magic carpet ride.” The less musically inclined of us might not appreciate that very point, but can still admire not just the song but the obvious musical respect and synergy between the duo that bleeds through the album.

A STRONG PRESENCE

A strong presence is the theme of long-distance fatherhood. A key part of Dan’s existence, so it’s no surprise to hear Dan sing “Only love leads me away from you / Only love guides me back,” on the title track. A track that reflects on fatherhood across continents and love in all its guises. in similar vein, the grief of Every Brick pulls no punches, confronting the pain of leaving head-on while a quiet intensity (a term that could be equally applied across the whole experience) occupies Bird Of Paradise. A flower becomes a metaphor for commodified intimacy, and explores loneliness without offering an easy resolution.

The brief interval in the instrumental  Mina Glass, owes a debt to minimalist composer Philip Glass. Not just a musical connection, as the composer whose temporary stay in the Minatomirai, a hyper-modern district on Tokyo Bay, inspired a piece built around stillness, repetition, and quiet reflection.

The album might be born from the harsh realities of long-distance fatherhood, but is focused squarely on positive connection; rituals, journeys and flashes of joy that keep love alive and give the album not so much a simple title, but meaningful narrative. On an album packed with significant moments, to pick one would be not only impossible, but…check out Spaces, where he sings the words of every parent: “I’ll always be right beside you, whatever you say, whatever you do.”

A half hour of hold your breath serenity. Only Love might be, nay is, Dan’s most exposed and emotionally direct works to date. Beautifully expressed by an inspired combination. Great artwork too.

Here’s A Thousand Lives live at Porcupine Studios:

Dan Whitehouse: Website

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